This invention relates to belts and more particularly, to the load-carrying surface of belts for use in carrying objects on the surface.
In industries, belts are used to transport a variety of objects. These objects can range from large, standard size items such as cardboard boxes to discrete, irregular size items such as loose agricultural products (i.e., hay). It is required that the belts have not only a good gripping surface but must also be durable and self-cleaning. There are many types of roughened belt surfaces; however, many of these surfaces have proven unsatisfactory as their gripping power is reduced with the surface wear and the self-cleaning aspect of the surface has proven to be insufficient.
Examples of known belt surfaces are illustrated in the following U.S. Patents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,909,271 and 4,426,926 disclose belts formed with continuous walls forming a plurality of enclosed recesses. U.S. Pat. No. 810,510 discloses several belt surfaces. Each belt surface is provided with a system of ribs arranged so that the ribs have a tendency to shift the material carried by the belt towards the middle of the belt. The illustrated configurations are, for the most part, directional configurations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,986 discloses a belt for use with a crop-baling machine. The surface of the conveyor belt is defined by a plurality of continuously extending angled ribs. The ribs extend from one edge of the belt to the opposing edge of belt.
The present invention is directed towards a belt having a load-carrying surface located between transverse edges of the belt. The load-carrying surface is comprised of a plurality of ribs arranged in a plurality of overlapping columns extending along the length of the belt. Each rib has a leading edge and a trailing edge extending across the transverse width of the belt, and each rib is defined by a centerline located midway between the leading and trailing edge of the rib. The rib centerline has a non-linear configuration over a majority of the belt""s useful lifetime.
The rib centerlines of the load-carrying surface may be defined as having at least two separate portions, preferably inclined at equal and opposing angles relative to the transverse belt edges. Alternatively, the rib centerlines may be defined by a line with at least three separate portions, or as a curved line such as a sinusoidal line.
In one aspect of the invention, the load-carrying surface is defined by the ribs in the adjacent columns being rotated in orientation with respect to the immediately adjacent columns.
Also disclosed is an agricultural machine, such as a hay baler that produces round hay bales, employing the belt of the present invention.